Hat structure



March 4, 1969 I INVENTOR. J LEO GEORGE ANDRIAN BY %,M5QJL ATTORNEYS Mar ch 4, 1969 G. ANDRIAN 3,430,266

HAT STRUCTURE Filed May a, 1967 Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LEO GEORGE ANDRIAN ATTORNEYS March 4, 1969 1.. G. ANDRIAN 3,4

i v HAT STRUCTURE Filed May 8, 1967 F lG 1O F lG .13 3O 29 v INVENTOR.

LEO GEORGE ANDRIAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A light-weight, ventilated protective sun hat, which is also decorative, and which is formed from a plurality of strips of relatively thin material assembled in interwoven fashion to give the general appearance of a palm frond hat formed from natural palm branches.

Natural palm frond hats have long been used in tropical and semi-tropical climates as protective sun hats. The extent of their use has been due largely to the practically free availability of the product from which the hat was made and the availability of craftsmen with the knowledge of how to make such hats. However, natural palm frond hats are very intricate and difiicult to form and the natural palm frond is an uncomfortable product to work with. Crafstmen capable of making natural palm frond hats are becoming more scarce and the natural hats, when available, are comparatively quite expensive.

Further, natural palm frond hats are attractive and retain the pleasant light green color of the palm branch for only a few days and then turn brown and become very brittle and cr-ushable.

It is therefore a main object of this invention to provide a ventilated sun hat which is generally similar to a natural palm frond hat in appearance yet which is relatively easily made from materials such as plastic or paper.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ventilated sun hat which is generally similar in appearance to a natural palm frond hat yet which is far less intricate in the formation thereof and does not require a skilled craftsman to assemble.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a ventilated sun hat which generally simulates a natural frond hat yet which will retain its attractiveness and color for an indefinite period of time and which is pliable and will withstand the crush of packing and can be used time after time.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simulated palm frond hat which is economical to manufacture, economical to the purchaser at the point of purchase as compared to a natural palm frond hat, and economical to the purchaser in that it can be used repeatedly.

These and other objects will be apparent from the description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled hat structure of the present invention:

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of one of the structural elements of the present invention including a crown ring, a simulated palm frond attached thereto and extending outwardly and spirally downwardly therefrom to a hat band member which is spaced below the crown ring;

FIG. 3 is a top plan View, mostly broken away, of the structure of FIG. 2, to which has been added additional simulated palm fronds;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a simulated palm frond member which may be used in the formation of the brim of the present hat structure;

3,430,266 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partially broken away, illustrating the formation of the brim of the present hat structure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIG. 5

FIG. 7 is a plan view, partially broken away, of one of the simulated palm frond members used in construction of the present hat structure;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the right-hand end of the structure of FIG. 7 illustrating how the simulated palm frond is curled under in forming the hat structure of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of portion of the modified form of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of one of the simulated palm frond members used in the construction of the moditied form of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 13 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 9 illustrating how the end of the frond of FIG. 12 is curled under the formation of the modified form of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, if the hat structure of the present invention is to be made from a pliable plastic material or the like, several of the parts may be molded together facilitating even easier assembly of the hat into final form. The cap, generally designated 2, may include an anchor means or crown ring 3, simulated fron'ds 4 extending outwardly and spiraling downwardly from ring 3, and a hat band 5, all of which may be molded together.

The number of fronds depending from crown ring 3 may vary according to the size of the hat and the width of the fronds, however, in the particular example illustrated it has been found desirable to use fourteen fronds. Further, the fronds may spiral downwardly from crown anchor ring 3 in either direction. In the examples, the fronds 4 spiral 'downwardly in a counterclockwise direction as view from above in FIG. 3.

The hat band 5 may be of a generally inverted U- shaped structure as seen in FIG. 6, the outer leg of the U having apertures 6 formed therein at spaced intervals around the circumference of band 4 equal in number to and generally disposed beneath the connecting point of fronds 4 to band 5. Apertures 6 are adapted to receive a barbed prong 9 which may be formed on one end 8 of the brim member 10 illustrated in FIG. 4. Brim member 4 is generally semi-circular in shape and is adapted to be secured at one end thereof, by means of prong 9 and aperture 6, to the band 5. From this point of attachment, brim member 10 extends outwardly of band 5 and curves back to band member 5 at its end opposite prong 9, which end 12 has an aperture 11 formed therein and is adapted to be secured within the channel of the U-shaped band 5 by means of engaging aperture 11 with the prong 9 of another brim member 10. Thus. one end 8 of brim member 10 is secured to the outside of band .5 by means of prong 9 while the other end 12 of said brim member is secured within the channel formed by band 5 by means of a prong 9 on another brim member.

It may be noted in FIGS. 1 and 5 that fronds 4 of hat 1 may be integrally formed with band 5 in such a manner as to show a definite line of departure as though the frond were entering the band member rather than being formed integrally therewith. The brim members 10 are so cut on end and attached to band 5 below the upper edge thereof as to give the appearance that brim members 9 are extensions of fronds 4 as through the fronds extend through band 5, which is the case in the modified form of the present hat structure to be later described.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5 the brim members of hat 1 are interwoven with each other as they are attached to band 5 in a simple over and under configuration.

A frond simulating member 14 may then be attached to crown ring 3 and interwoven downwardly between fronds 4 in a simple over and under pattern and in a spiral opposed to that of fronds 4, which, in the present example, would be clockwise.

The frond 14 illustrated in FIG. 7 is partially broken away to the left-hand side and on the right-hand end is formed with a barbed prong (FIG. 8). Prong 15 is adapted to be received within any aperture 16 of an annular row of thereof evenly spaced around crown ring 3 as seen in FIG. 3.

To enhance the appearance of the finished product, the prong end of frond 14 may be curled under as illustrated in FIG. 9 and the prong 15 then inserted upwardly through an aperture 16 in crown ring 3. As noted in FIG. 1 the projections of prongs 15 upwardly of crown ring 3 are covered by prongs 14 as they are woven downwardly through fronds 4.

Fronds 14 normally pass outwardly of band 5 and may thereafter be left free as illustrated in the assembled hat 1 of FIG. 1 or may be woven through the brim member 10. Said brim members need not be interwoven with each other, though the final appearance is improved if they are.

A modified form of the hat structure of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 10 wherein none of the members are permanently secured together. The modified form is especially adaptable to hats which may be made primarily of paper or the like.

The crown ring 19 of the modified form is of the same general configuration of crown ring 3, however, intead of apertures formed therein, crown ring 19 has an annular row of spaced, barbed prongs 20 depending therefrom. To prongs 20 are secured, by means of engaging an aperture 21, a plurality of outwardly and downwardly spiraling fronds 22, which fronds are of the same general configuration as the combination of fronds 4 and brim members 10 in the previously described form of the invention.

As previously suggested fronds 22 pass downwardly through slots 23 formed in the web of U-shaped band 24 and then extend outwardly of band 24 through slots 25 formed in the outer leg of U-shaped band 24. Extending outwardly of band 24, fronds 22 perform the same brim forming function as brim members 10 in the previously described form of the present invention. These extensions 26 curve back on band 24 and are attached thereto through the slots 25 and 23 as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. In assembly, extensions 26 are woven in a simple over and under pattern as were brim members 10.

To finish the modified form of hat structure, frond members 29 are attached to crown ring 19 and are woven outwardly and downwardly of crown ring 19 through fronds 22 in a spiral opposed to that of fronds 22.

As seen in FIG. 12, one end of fronds 29 may have an aperture 30 therein, which aperture is adapted to be received upon the prongs 20 depending from crown ring 19. The apertured end of fronds 29 may first be curled under as illustrated in FIG. 13 and then attached to prongs 20 through the opening of crown ring 19 after which they are woven downwardly in a simple over and under pattern throughthe prongs 22. Again, fronds 29 generally pass outwardly of band 24 and from there may be left free as illustrated in FIG. 1, or may be woven through the extensions 26 of fronds 22.

The dimensions of the fronds and the interweaving in any of the various forms of the present hat structure may be varied to increase or decrease the ventilating openings left between fronds as illustrated in FIG. 1.

In either form herein described and illustrated, the hat structure may be assembled from relatively inexpensive, preformed or prestamped parts by unskilled laborers. The end product is not only attractive and somewhat similar to a natural palm frond hat, but also serves the traditional function of a lightweight, well-ventilated, protective sun hat.

It should be understood that the above detailed description discloses preferred forms of the present invention and that it is not intended to be limiting, as other forms and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art which do not depart from the spirit of this invention and which come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hat structure comprising:

(a) crown anchor means;

(b) a hat band spaced below said crown anchor means;

(c) a plurality of first simulated frond members connected to said crown anchor means and extending radially outwardly and downwardly therefrom in a spiral into holding engagement with said hat band maintaining said crown anchor means and said hat band in spaced relation;

(d) extensions of said first frond members being in holding engagement at one end thereof with said hat band and extending arcuately outwardly of said hat band and curving back to and terminating in holding engagement with said hat band at the other end thereof;

(e) said extensions overlap with respect to each other as they extend outwardly of and curve back to said hat band around the circumference thereof; and

(f) a plurality of second simulated frond members connected to said crown anchor means and extending radially outwardly and downwardly therefrom in a spiral opposed to the spiral of said first frond members, said first and second frond members being interwoven with each other.

'2. The structure defined in claim 1, in which:

(g) said extensions are interwoven with each other as they extend outwardly of and curve back to said hat band.

3. The hat structure defined in claim 1, in which:

(g) said first simulated frond members and said extensions thereof are a single continuous member.

'4. The hat structure defined in claim 1, in which:

(g) said hat band including a plurality of slots formed therein with said fronds and extensions threaded therethrough defining said holding engagement.

5. The hat structure defined in claim 4, in which:

(h) said hat band being formed of a downwardly opening U-shape contour having a web interconnecting two depending legs with a first annular row of said slots being formed in said web and a second annular row of said slots in one of said legs.

6. The hat structure defined in claim 5, in which:

(i) said first and second annular rows of said slots being staggered with respect to each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,290,539 1/1919 Gerber 2-193 1,512,866 10/ 1924 Strauss 2209.5 1,581,750 4/ 1926 Mantilla 2-l95 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 464,741 '7/1951 Italy. 759,803 11/1933 France.

RICHARD J. SCANLON, 111., Primary Examiner.

G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

